Vacuum cleaner



C. K. SKINNER VACUUM CLEANER June 23, 1936.

I File d Sept. 27, 1934 Inventor. Charles K. Skinnen His Attovnne Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Charles K. Skinner, Southport, Conn, assignor' to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 5 Claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the handle of the cleaner showing the signal device for indicating the amount of dirt in the bag of the cleaner; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the signal device; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the control device for preventing operation of the cleaner when the bag contains a predetermined amount of dirt.

Referring to the drawing, the vacuum'cleaner is contained in a casing I having a suction nozzle 2, a discharge conduit 3, and front and rear supporting Wheels I.

A tubular handle 5 is pivotally connected at one end to the casing and has a grip 6 at the other end for the operator. The power supply for the vacuum cleaner is fed through a two-conductor cord 1 to a control 'switch 8 mounted on the handle adjacent the grip. From the switch 8, the conductors are led through the handle to an electric motor which is mounted within the cleaner casing I.

The electric motor drives a fan mounted within the casing and creates a suction at the suction nozzle 2 which draws dirt through the suction nozzle and discharges it through a discharge'conduit 3 into a bag 9 connected to the discharge conduit.

The bag is made of porous material, such as a tex-' tile and filters the air discharged through the discharge conduit so that the dirt remains in the bag. The bag is sup-ported from the handle by a chain II] which is attached to a metal clip II on the upper end of the bag. Hooks I2 are provided on the handle on which the cord 1 may be coiled when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.

The upper end of the chain Ill which supportsthe bag from the handle is provided with a hook I3 which passes through an opening! in the under side of the handle and is hooked into an eye formed in the end of a plunger I5. The

plunger is slidably carried in a frame I6 secured. inside the handle by screws H.

A spring I8 between the lower end of the frame I6 and a collar I9 on the plunger biases the plunger toward the upper end of the frame.

The plunger I5 extends 27, 1934, Serial No. 745,717

through the upper end of the frame and the extended end carries a contact 20 which is adapted to engage a contact 2| on the upper end of the frame I6 when the plunger'is moved downwardly againstthe force of the spring I8. The strength of the spring I8 is proportioned so that when the bag is clean, the collar I9 of the plunger is held against the upper end of the frame, and the contacts 20 and H are spaced apart as shown in Fig. 2. As the cleaner is used, dirt accumulates in the bag and the weight of the dirt causes the plunger I5 to be moved downwardly against the force of the spring IBand to close the contacts 20 and 2!. The closing of contacts 20 and 2I closes a circuit through a signal lamp22 which is carried in a well 24 secured within the handle adjacent the grip E. A glass 25 having asuitable legend thereon is held in place above thesignal lamp in an opening 26 in the handle above the well 24 by a snap ring 21. The signal lamp when illuminated illuminates the legend on the glass 21 and calls the operators attention to the fact that the bag should be cleaned. It is important that the operator be informed of this since the amount of dirt in the bag affects the suction developed at the suction nozzle 2 of the cleaner and also affects the efficiency of the bag in filtering the air forced through the bag. The signal lamp is placed adjacent the grip so that the lighting of the lamp readily attracts the attention of the operator.

The circuit for controlling the signal lamp will now be described. One of the conductors from the power supply is connected to a conbolt 33 and is insulated from the well 24 by an insulating bushing 34. The end of the spring clip 32 bears on a terminal 35 on the lower end of the lamp 22 and 'conducts current to the other side of the lamp. lVhen the contacts 20 and 2| are closed by the weight of the dirt in' the cleaner bag, the contacts 20 and 2| close a circuit from the power supply through the indicating lamp 22 and indicate to the operator that the dirt in the bag should be emptied.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a fragmentary view of a modification of the signal device illustrated in Fig. 2 which will deenergize the electric motor and prevent further operation of the vacuum cleaner if the operator disregards the signal and does not clean the bag. In this modification, the plunger 85 is provided with an extended shank 36 which extends below the lower end of the frame l6 and has an eye at the lower end in which the hook 93 for supporting the cleaner bag is placed. The Weight of the dirt in the cleaner bag causes the plunger E5 to be moved toward the lower wall of-the frame H5, thereby causing contact 26 carried on a resilient member 37 attached to the upper end. of the plunger l5 to engage the contact 2i carried on the upper side of the frame it. This closes the circuit through the indicating lamp 22 in the same manner as the device shown in Fig. 2 and indicates to the operator that the bag should be cleaned. If the operator disregards this signal and does not clean the bag, additional dirt will be drawn into the cleaner bag and cause still further downward movement of the plunger l5 with respect to the frame iii. In the device illustrated in Fig. 4, this additional movement is used to open the circuit to the motor, thereby deenergizing the motor and preventing further operation of the cleaner.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, conductor 38, which leads current to one side of the motor, is connected to a plate 39 which is supported on the inside of the handle 5 by screws ii]. A sheet 400. of insulating material insulates the plate 39 from the handle. From the plate 39 the circuit to the motor passes through a resilient contact M attached to the shank 36 of the plunger l5 and through a conductor 42 extending from the contact 4! to one side of the motor. The circuit to the motor is completed by another conductor (not shown) which leads from the power supply to the other side of the motor. The surface of the plate 39 adjacent the contact M comprises a conducting portion 33 and an abutting insulated portion 5 The abutting ends of the conducting portion 33 and the insulated portion 1 3 are thickened to provide a projecting shoulder When the bag contains enough dirt to cause the plunger id to be moved downwardly so that contacts 26 and 2!! are closed, the contact M on the extended shank 5-36 of the plunger is moved to a position on the conducting portion 3 of the plate 39 adjacent the projection 15. If the operator disregards the signal which is given by the closing of contacts 26 and 2H and continues to use the cleaner, a predetermined additional amount of dirt drawn into the bag will. cause the plunger to be moved still further downwardly against the force of spring 58 and will cause the contact ii to ride over the projection 35 to the insulated portion 1 5 of the plate 39. This will open the circuit to the motor and de energize the motor, thereby preventing further operation of the cleaner until the bag is cleaned.

The projection 45 causes the contact 4| to be moved to the insulated portion of the plate 39 with a snap action. The resilient member 31 which carries the contact permits the plunger to be moved downwardly relative to the frame 16 in order to open the circuit of the motor and maintains the contacts 20 and M closed to indicate to the operator the reason for shutting down the cleaner. When the bag is cleaned, the spring it returns the contact M to the position shown in Fig. 4.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. In a suction cleaner having a suction nozzle and means for creating a suction at the nozzle. 2. bag for receiving the dirt drawn through said nozzle, and means responsive to the weight of the bag and contents for indicatingthat the bag contains a predetermined quantity of dirt.

2. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, means for creating a suction at the nozzle, a handle for the cleaner. a bag for receiving the dirt drawn through said nozzle, means for supporting the bag from the handle, and means connected to said supporting means and responsive to the weight of the bag and contents for indicating that the bag contains a predetermined quantity of dirt.

3. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, means for creating a suction at the nozzle, a handle for the cleaner, a bag for receiving the dirt drawn through said nozzle, means for supporting the bag from the handle, a signal device, and weight responsive means including a switch connected to said supporting means for energizing said signal device when the bag contains a predetermined amount of dirt.

4. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, a hollow handle for the cleaner having a grip portion for the operator, a bag for receiving dirt drawn through the nozzle, a switch mounted within the handle, bag supporting means connected to said switch including weight responsive means for operating the switch in response to the weight of the bag and contents, and an indicating device within the handle adjacent said grip and operated by said switch for indicating when the bag contains a predetermined amount of dirt.

5. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle, a hollow handle for the cleaner having a grip portion for the operator, a bag for receiving dirt drawn through the nozzle, a switch mounted within the handle, bag supporting means connected to said switch including weight responsive means for orerating the switch in response to the weight of the bag and contents, an indicating lamp within said handle adjacent said grip, and wires within said handle extending from said switch tosaid lamp whereby the lamp may be operated by switch to indicate when the bag contains a pre- 6% determined amount of dirt.

CHARLES'K. 

